Phals in Sphagnum or bark?

[CodiMN]

Mine are in a mix of bark, charcoal and coconut husks. The sphag just liked moisture too much up here in MN and would rot the roots out.
Now whenever I get a phal, I don't even touch one that's planted in sphag, because when I get it home to repot, there's no healthy roots! The poor plant is blooming just to try to survive because it's dieing in the moss. :sad:
--Carolyn

[Oscarman]

I grow in bark mix, NZ sphagnum and PrimeAgra/Leca. Both my plants and I are happiest in LECA.

LECA = Light Expanded Clay Aggregate

[dennis]

well after today i have some doubts on sh on phals not all of them. i have about half in sh and the other in sphagnum. most of these are doing great but the ones with the most trouble are in sh, one of these was a rather large plant that now has almost total root rot. right next to this one i have one that was rescued and is blooming,and putting out a new leaf, the plants leaves on this one are so stiff that they almost point straight up and will not give. i have a nobby's amy that is quite large in sh that is doing ok it had 3 bad roots on it no complaints so i left it in with some sphag on top for the ariel roots. what ever you choose keep a eye on them because one is doing great does not mean that all of them will

[markr]

I've played around with a lot of mixes and my plants prefer a sphag-heavy mix.
My phals actually do best mounted in terrariums, but otherwise they're in 100% sphagnum if in small pots or a mix of sphagnum and either bark or lava rock if the pot is 6" diameter or more.
I think the trick is to give the roots a frequent wet-dry cycle but retain some humidity around the roots, so I like the mix to dry down fairly quickly and to water frequently (about twice a week). Pure sphag in a medium or larger pot doesn't allow that. For the same reason, I use slotted plastic pots or I punch holes in the sides. I still have a lot to learn about orchids, but this system is so far the best I've found, at least for me. Mounted plants seem the healthiest of all, and I think that is because their wet-dry cycle time is even quicker.

The only real disadvantage to sphag I think is that it must be changed every year or two, but when you don't have hundreds of orchids, it's more a labour of love than a chore. If I had an entire greenhouse full of plants, I might feel differently and look for alternatives.

[Dorothy]

I have my phals in slatted containers. Those that came in sphag moss had rotten roots, but they have survived and continued to bloom even when I repotted them. Some are in the bark mix they came in (for now) and I repotted the others in KK mix. I like the coconut husk chips as opposed to the bark .. personal perference. This is new to me but so far so good! ..
I have yet to incorporate small amounts of moss in an attempt to change my mind but right now .. the phals are happy and so am I

[orchidexpress]

Everytime you ask a question of what to pot your orchids in, you will always hear different responses. Regarding the thought of spag verses bark. Both break down rather quickly so you will be repotting every year or two with either one. Large wholesale growers grow their phals in spag as it promotes the roots to grow faster and spag holds fertilizer so they do not have to fertilize as often. Also is is the lightest to ship. Bark is also great and holds up longer than spag. Bark will also hold onto the roots. When repotting remove most of what you can. Remember when the bark breaks down it's then like a heavy soil.

[Dorothy]

So true, orchidexpress. I believe that temperature, humidity and light have a lot to do in whether one medium or medium mix will work better over another. One may have to experiment to find what works best for one's own phals.

[Tindomul]

I recently got bulb rot on one of my sphag growing Bulbophyllums, so now I am weary of sphag. Im seriously considering repotting my best Phal out of sphag.

[puddin]

It depends on the plant. I have several in bark, one in semi-hydropocis, and one in the moss. I prefer bark, but the one in S/H I about killed and the other came with horrible roots, so I put it in moss.

[R Srinivasan]

Phals mounted on a sizeable rough bark piece just look great because their innumerable root tips photosynthesize efficiently to give even better blooms.Only water them more often. Sphagnum is O.K. if grown in a net basket that ensures adequate aereation.